Quiet

I just finished this audiobook (from Gabriel) and loved it. Although people are not 100% anything, but complex combinations of characteristics, I am an introvert... at least much more of an introvert than I thought. I need to recover from hours of social activity which exhausts me, I prefer to sneak away with a book, I work much better on projects if I work alone, I prefer to shop alone, I am happy to be with someone I love but don't necessarily have to be talking to them, and I don't enjoy conversation with acquaintances just for the sake of talking. Those are just a few of the traits that have sometimes made me wonder, "What is wrong with me? Why don't I seek out social situations and often try to avoid them?" Cain uses the term "differently social" as opposed to "antisocial", because introverts are social with the people they are closest to but don't tend to seek out social gatherings with others. An extrovert receives their mental health break by getting together with a bunch of people the way an introvert needs to go off on their own to take a walk, read a book, cook a meal, or whatever. Cain points out that being an introvert is not the same thing as being pathologically shy. When I was a child I was quite shy and nearly panicked if someone I didn't know well came up and spoke to me. Fortunately I've outgrown that and feel quite comfortable talking with just about anybody, but you probably won't catch me using a heat seeking missile to get a chat-fix!

From Amazon:  
At least one-third of the people we know are introverts. They are the ones who prefer listening to speaking, reading to partying; who innovate and create but dislike self-promotion; who favor working on their own over brainstorming in teams. Although they are often labeled "quiet," it is to introverts that we owe many of the great contributions to society--from van Gogh’s sunflowers to the invention of the personal computer.

Passionately argued, impressively researched, and filled with indelible stories of real people, Quiet shows how dramatically we undervalue introverts, and how much we lose in doing so. Taking the reader on a journey from Dale Carnegie’s birthplace to Harvard Business School, from a Tony Robbins seminar to an evangelical megachurch, Susan Cain charts the rise of the Extrovert Ideal in the twentieth century and explores its far-reaching effects. She talks to Asian-American students who feel alienated from the brash, backslapping atmosphere of American schools. She questions the dominant values of American business culture, where forced collaboration can stand in the way of innovation, and where the leadership potential of introverts is often overlooked. And she draws on cutting-edge research in psychology and neuroscience to reveal the surprising differences between extroverts and introverts.

Perhaps most inspiring, she introduces us to successful introverts--from a witty, high-octane public speaker who recharges in solitude after his talks, to a record-breaking salesman who quietly taps into the power of questions. Finally, she offers invaluable advice on everything from how to better negotiate differences in introvert-extrovert relationships to how to empower an introverted child to when it makes sense to be a "pretend extrovert."

This extraordinary book has the power to permanently change how we see introverts and, equally important, how introverts see themselves.

True. I now understand why I need to get away to myself after having been with lots of people, not unlike a drowning man who's dying for that breath of fresh air. So don't feel bad if I disappear for a while. I'll be back after I paint a masterpiece or invent a new computer.